language and consciousness

[Nancy]

amalia wrote: "An interesting book I have recently read on this topic was: Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages

How does the language you speak influence yo..."

Thanks so much for this recommendation! I just finished it and it is fascinating. However, it raises more questions in my mind. I get the sense that the way language affects thought goes far beyond what is discussed here. Leaves me wanting more. I only speak one language decently; can ask how to get to the bathroom or bus station in Spanish and can barely make myself understood in German (and understand even less.) So I am both intrigued and clueless as to how it might feel to function in one language versus another. The east/west thing blows my mind, as does the fact that people don't notice that the sky is blue; it is percieved as just empty space. Wow. I feel privileged to have grown up with crayons.

[Betsy, co-mod]

I was a big fan of The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language when I read it years ago. I have heard since that there's been a lot of dispute about whether such an instinct is real, but I haven't read any of the arguments. However, I just came across an article that seems to present them pretty clearly:

http://aeon.co/magazine/culture/there...

[Jim]

That was interesting. Thanks, Betsy.

[Nancy]

That is really interesting. I still have to lean more toward Pinker and Chomsky's views though. Yes, different cultures do have varied grammars, but we do all seem to HAVE grammar. Also the argument that a random mutation for language instinct would be worthless is not at all convincing. If an otherwise smart and sturdy person happened to have this mutation, some of his or her offspring might inherit it and before you knew it you'd have a village full of chattering kids. especially if the carrier were an attractive, successful male in a polygamous society.